The present invention relates to an air intake and blowing device capable of forming a spiral swirl flow of air to be sucked in and blown.
In general, as a method for discharging air from a specified local place, an air intake and blowing device for generating a spiral intake air swirl flow is used in relation to the air to be blown.
As an example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. SHO 64-38540 discloses a device for blowing an air flow from four posts to generate a spirally rising swirl flow within a space partitioned by air curtains and causing an air intake effect in a direction perpendicular to the swirl flow in a center portion of the space.
However, the above-mentioned device has the problem that the four posts are required to be installed and is restricted in terms of installation space.
In view of the above, as an air intake and blowing device eliminating the posts as described above, there are proposed devices disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 4-140, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 9-25889 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 8-75208.
First, according to the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 4-140, in an exhaust system in which an exhaust hood is provided in an upper portion of a space from which exhaust is to be discharged, an exhaust port connected to an exhaust fan is formed in a center portion of the exhaust hood, a spirally rising vortex air flow is generated below the surface of the exhaust hood by the blowing air and a negative pressure from the exhaust port obtained by blowing air in a tangential direction of a circumference concentric with the center of the exhaust port and discharge of air inside the space from which exhaust is to be discharged is performed by the vortex air flow, an air supply chamber is fixed to an outer peripheral portion located in a lower portion of the exhaust hood and is to be discharged is performed by the vortex air flow so as not to disturb the vortex air flow by alternately arranging at regular intervals air blowing ports for blowing air in a tangential direction of a circumference concentric with the center of the exhaust port and fixed air blowing ports for blowing air toward the surface of the downside floor surface on the lower surface of the exhaust chamber and blowing air from the air blowing ports toward the floor surface.
Next, the device of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 9-25889 has a construction employing a centrifugal air blower constructed so that air is sucked from an air intake port by the rotation of an impeller and the air is discharged from inside the impeller to the outer periphery, wherein a pipe section that extends downward in the rotating axis direction from an end surface located on the intake side of the impeller and a propeller that rotates together with the impeller and generates a swirl air flow cylindrically enclosing the periphery of the intake air flow sucked into the intake port is provided on the outer peripheral surface of this pipe section.
Furthermore, the device of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 8-75208 has a construction including an exhaust passage having a circular air intake port, an air supply passage in which an air blowing port is arranged in an annular shape so as to form a concentric circle outside the air intake port, a plurality of air flow guide vanes that are elongated in a direction of the annular passage inside the annular passage of the air supply passage and are arranged so as to divide the annular direction of the annular passage and a swirl air flow guide hood that is widen toward the end and protruded so as to form a circle concentric with the air intake port of the exhaust passage on the outer periphery of the air blowing port of the air supply passage, wherein the exhaust passage and the air supply passage are positioned on the same side of the planes of the air intake port and the air blowing port, the air flow guide vanes are constructed so as to be wholly turned aslant in an identical direction relative to the direction of center axis of the intake air flow caused by the intake of air of the air intake port of the exhaust passage, and a swirl air flow turned aslant in the reverse direction relative to the air intake direction of the air intake port by the guide vanes is blown outwardly of the periphery of the air intake port from the annular air blowing port located around the air intake port.
The aforementioned prior art examples have the problems as follows.
That is, in the case of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 4-140, it is required to provide the air supply chamber having an outer diameter corresponding to the circumference of the exhaust hood having a great opening diameter continued to the exhaust duct and arrange a number of air blowing ports for blowing air in the tangential direction relative to the center of the exhaust port and air blowing ports for blowing air toward the downside floor surface in the air supply chamber. Therefore, a large-scale complicated device construction including the exhaust duct is needed, for which loud noises are generated and the device can only be used as a spot exhaust device for large-scale installations such as factories.
Therefore, this device is not suitable for devices such as air conditioners and air purifiers that are required to be compact and comfortable.
Next, the device of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 9-25889, which can cope with the requirement of comfortableness though not quite satisfactorily, can be applied to only a duct system ventilating device. Furthermore, it is required to provide a supply air fan extended downward from the air intake port of the exhaust fan, and therefore, compacting of the device is hard to achieve.
Next, the device of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 8-75208, which needs a large vortex flow guide hood around the outlet port, has a complicated structure. There is a further problem that the device can only be applied to the duct type ventilating device.
The generation of the tornado flow that flows toward the air intake port and exerts a great influence on the air intake and blowing operation requires the essential condition that the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port surrounding the tornado flow is stably generated.
As shown in FIG. 42, the vortex flow that is a factor for generating the tornado flow is blown from an annular air blowing port 152 formed in an outer peripheral portion of a panel member 151 positioned on the lower surface of the air intake and blowing device. In this case, an air blowing passage 153 continued to the air blowing port 152 has an inclined cross-section shape inclined radially outwardly toward an air blowing side surface 151a of the panel member 151, and a plurality of vortex flow creating stators (fixed vanes) 155 for imparting a swirl component to the blowing air are mounted at regular intervals in the circumferential direction inside the air blowing passage 153. Then, by the swirl component imparting effect of the vortex flow creating stators 155, the blowing air becomes a vortex flow that is spirally blown out of the air blowing port 152.
In this case, in order to make the air blown from the air blowing port 152 become a stable vortex flow, the air flow direction is desired to be extended in a direction of extension of the air blowing passage 153, as indicated by a stream line A01 in the figure. However, if the air intake and blowing device is a ceiling embedded type, then, due to the existence of an outside ceiling 154 forming a plane roughly identical to that of the panel member 151 on which the air blowing port 152 is opened, Coanda effect is exerted on the blowing air by a portion located outside the air blowing port 152 of the panel member 151 and the ceiling 154 continued to the portion. Therefore, the air flow blown from the air blowing port 152 receives the effect that it adheres to the ceiling 154 and is diffused radially outwardly along this as indicated by the stream line A1xe2x80x2 in the figure. As a result, stable generation of a vortex flow is hindered to consequently lead to difficulties in stably generating the tornado flow. This has led to the problem that sufficient air intake and blowing performance utilizing the sucking force of the tornado flow cannot be obtained, and installation in a place that causes the generation of the Coanda effect as described above is restricted to reduce the versatility.
Furthermore, according to the aforementioned conventional exhaust device utilizing the strong sucking force of the tornado flow, the performance largely depends on, for example, where the device is installed in the space (for example, a room) from which exhaust is to be discharged. Accordingly, there has been the problem that the device installation position is inevitably restricted to hinder the versatility of the device in order to obtain high performance.
In developing means for resolving the aforementioned problems, the present inventor et al. first examined (A) a relation between the performance and the installation position of an air intake and blowing device utilizing a tornado flow, (B) a relation between the performance and the stability of the tornado flow and (C) a relation between the stability of the tornado flow and a static pressure, through experiments. The contents and the results of examination will be described below.
(A) Relation between the performance and the installation position of the air intake and blowing device
FIG. 54A shows five patterns supposed as installation patterns, i.e., an installation position 1 through an installation position 5 of an air intake and blowing device Y in a room X having a rectangular plane shape.
The installation position 1 is a pattern according to which the air intake and blowing device Y is installed at the center of the room X.
The installation position 2 is a pattern according to which the air intake and blowing device Y is installed in a position located between the center of the room X and its one wall surface.
The installation position 3 is a pattern according to which the air intake and blowing device Y is installed in contact with the center of one wall surface of the room X.
The installation position 4 is a pattern according to which the air intake and blowing device Y is installed in a position located between the center of the room X and a corner formed by adjacent two wall surfaces.
The installation position 5 is a pattern in which the air intake and blowing device Y is installed in contact with the corner portion formed by adjacent two wall surfaces.
FIG. 54B indicates the performance of the air intake and blowing device by xe2x97xaf marks. In this case, as a method for evaluating the performance of the air intake and blowing device Y, there was adopted a method for collecting and removing for a specified time a specified amount of dust floating in the air of the room X by a built-in dust removing device of the air intake and blowing device Y and indirectly evaluating the air discharge performance (i.e., suction performance of air in the room by a tornado flow) of the air intake and blowing device Y by the remaining dust amount in the air outside the region surrounded by air curtains provided by blowing vortex air flow after a lapse of the specified time. It is to be noted that the evaluation indicated by ∘ marks in FIG. 54B is the evaluation with respect to a comparative object of the conventional suction type air intake and blowing device that utilizes no tornado flow.
FIGS. 54A and 54B first show that performance higher than that of the conventional suction type air intake and blowing device that utilizes no tornado flow is obtained by the air intake and blowing device Y that utilizes a tornado flow whichever position of the installation position 1 through the installation position 5 the air intake and blowing device Y is installed, indicating the advantage of the air intake and blowing device Y utilizing the tornado flow.
In another aspect directly connected with the present invention, it can be found that the performance of the air intake and blowing device Y differs depending on the installation position even if air intake and blowing device Y utilizes the tornado flow and that a reduction in performance is significant particularly in the installation position 2.
(B) Relation between the performance of the air intake and blowing device Y and the stability of the tornado flow
Examining the state of the tornado flow in the case of, for example, the installation position 1 of satisfactory performance and the state of the tornado flow in the case of the installation position 2 of significantly degraded performance, it was understood that the tornado flow was very stable in the former case and the tornado flow was very unstable in the latter case. Based on this understanding, it can be found that the stable generation of the tornado flow is effective in order to improve and maintain the performance of the air intake and blowing device Y.
(C) Relation between the stability of the tornado flow and a static pressure
Next, a static pressure in the vicinity of the air blowing port in the case of the installation position 1 where high performance could be obtained by the generation of the stable tornado flow and a static pressure in the vicinity of the air blowing port in the case of the installation position 2 where the tornado flow was unstable and the performance was very low were examined by comparison through simulation analysis. As a result, a high static pressure region was generated by the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port in the vicinity of the air blowing port in the case of the installation position 1, and the tornado flow generation region that was the negative pressure region inside the vortex flow was surrounded by this high static pressure region. In contrast to this, in the case of the installation position 2, almost no high static pressure region was formed in the vicinity of the air blowing port. According to this understanding, it is effective to generate a high static pressure region outside the negative pressure region so that the negative pressure region close to the center axis of the vortex flow is surrounded by the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port in order to obtain a stable tornado flow.
(D) Examination of measures for improving in the case of the installation position 2
From the understanding of the aforementioned items (A) through (C), the present inventor et al. examined a variety of measures for improving the performance in the case of the installation position 2.
First, the reason why the performance is low in the installation position 2 is because the generation of the high static pressure region is hindered by some reasons in the vicinity of the air blowing port, and consequently, a tornado flow that greatly influence the performance cannot stably be generated. The cause of the above is presumably ascribed firstly to the fact that the influence of the wall surface of the room exerted on the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port is greater than that in the cases of the other installation positions in the case of the installation position 2 and secondly to the fact that a velocity boundary layer is formed by the vortex flow that is blown from the air blowing port and brought in contact with the peripheral wall surfaces of the air blowing port and the fact that the vortex flow is blown from the air blowing port and thereafter reduced in velocity in an early stage to impair the operation of conversion from the dynamic pressure to a static pressure, by which the generation of the high static pressure region in the vicinity of the air blowing port is hard to achieve.
Accordingly, the present inventor et al. came to realize a construction in which a bank-shaped member was arranged so as to enclose the air blowing port with interposition of an appropriate interval outside the air blowing port as a measure for improving on the basis of the aforementioned presumption. Then, in the case of the installation position 2, the bank-shaped member was arranged outside the air blowing port of the air intake and blowing device Y and the aforementioned experiment was executed again in this state. As a result, it was confirmed that a high performance equivalent to the performance in the case of the installation position 1 could be obtained by providing the bank-shaped member as indicated by the performance point of the ▪ mark in FIG. 54B even in the case of the installation position 2. It was further confirmed that a high static pressure region was formed so as to enclose the outside of the vortex flow in the vicinity of the air blowing port of the air intake and blowing device Y in this case. It was further confirmed that a very stable tornado flow was generated in the negative pressure region inside the vortex flow, consequently proving the appropriateness of the aforementioned presumption.
From the understanding of the aforementioned items (A) through (D), the present inventor et al. came to realize it is effective to control the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port by arranging the bank-shaped member with interposition of an appropriate interval outside the air blowing port in order to obtain high performance regardless of the installation position of the air intake and blowing device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air intake and blowing device that generates a spirally swirl-blowing air flow by installing an air blowing fan capable of blowing air in all directions inside a main casing provided with an air intake port and an air blowing port enclosing the air intake port and providing a vortex flow creating member for creating a vortex air flow in the air blowing port, generating a tornado-like air intake vortex flow spirally rising inwardly in the center axis direction.
Another object of the present invention is to ensure high air intake and blowing performance by obtaining a stable tornado flow by an air intake and blowing device utilizing a tornado flow regardless of the installation position of the device and improve the versatility of the device.
Yet another object of the present invention is to obtain high performance of the air intake and blowing device utilizing a tornado flow regardless of the installation position of the device.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides an air intake and blowing device wherein a main casing is provided with an air intake port and an air blowing port substantially enclosing the air intake port, and wherein an air passage is formed within the main casing so as to extend from the air intake port to the air blowing port (9), and wherein an air blowing fan capable of blowing air circumferentially in all periphery thereof is provided in the air passage, and wherein a vortex flow creating member for creating a vortex air flow is provided in the air blowing port so that a spiral swirl-blowing air flow is formed so as to generate an intake swirl flow having a sucking force toward a center axis of the spiral swirl-blowing air flow and the air intake port.
In this case, the phrase of xe2x80x9csubstantially enclosing the air intake portxe2x80x9d includes the meaning that the continuous annular air blowing port is completely enclosing the air intake port, the meaning that a plurality of air blowing ports are discontinuously annularly arranged and the plurality of discontinuous annular air blowing ports enclose the air intake port and the meaning that an air blowing port having a polygonal shape, a U-figured shape, a V-figured shape or a shape obtained by removing part of any of the shapes is enclosing the air intake port.
According to the above-mentioned construction, if the air blowing fan is driven, then air in a specified spot region below the air intake port is sucked from the air intake port and blown outwardly of the periphery of an air blowing fan.
Next, the air blown outwardly of the periphery of the air blowing fan is blown toward the floor surface while being formed into a vortex air flow by the operation of the vortex flow creating member of the air blowing port.
Then, the swirl air flow blown from the air blowing port toward the floor surface forms an intake air vortex flow rising up in a tornado form accompanied by a great sucking force of an air flow inwardly in the center axis direction from the floor surface to the air intake port.
As a result, the air in the specified spot region on the floor surface is surely interrupted by the blowing vortex air flow in an air curtain shape provided outside, by which the air is effectively sucked from the air intake port toward the air blowing fan without leaking to the outside. For example, if an air purifying means such as an air filter or an air heat exchanger such as an evaporator or a condenser is provided, then the air conditioning (cooling and heating) efficiency is improved together with the air purifying efficiency.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing port is comprised of an annular opening continuous in the circumferential direction.
Therefore, the vortex air flow created by the vortex flow creating member is blown from the annular opening that is continuous in the circumferential direction toward the floor surface in a stable state without being disturbed, effecting a reliable air curtain function on the space region located inwardly in the center axis direction and generating a stable intake air vortex flow inwardly in the center axis direction.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing port is comprised of a plurality of slit-shaped openings arranged at a specified interval in the circumferential direction.
Therefore, the vortex air flow created by the vortex flow creating member is blown from the plurality of slit-shaped openings arranged at a specified interval in the circumferential direction toward the floor surface in a stable state without being disturbed, effecting a reliable air curtain function on the space region inwardly in the center axis direction and generating a stable intake air vortex flow inwardly in the center axis direction.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the vortex flow creating member is comprised of a plurality of stators that have a specified inclination angle of in an air turn direction and are provided in the air blowing port.
Therefore, the air blown outwardly of the periphery by the air blowing fan is blown toward the floor surface while being formed into a stable vortex air flow by the operation of the vortex flow creating member constructed of the plurality of vortex flow creating stators that have a specified inclination angle of in the air turn direction and are provided in the air blowing port.
Then, the stable vortex air flow blown from the air blowing port forms an effective intake air vortex flow rising up in a tornado form accompanied by a great sucking force of an air flow inwardly in the center axis direction from the floor surface to the air intake port.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the vortex flow creating member is comprised of a plurality of first stators that are provided in the air blowing port to adjust an angle of an air turn direction and a plurality of second stators that are provided in the air blowing port to adjust an angle of an air blow direction.
Therefore, the air blown outwardly of the periphery by the air blowing fan firstly gains a vector in the direction of air turn by the first vortex flow creating stator for adjusting the angle of the air turn direction and thereafter has its flare angle in the air blow direction of the vortex flow by the second vortex flow creating stator for adjusting the angle of the air blow direction, by which a vortex flow of the desired turn angle is blown toward the floor surface with the desired flare angle, enabling the arbitrary adjustment corresponding to the broadness of the area of the specified spot region and the required magnitude of the sucking force. This consequently enables the air intake and blowing device to freely cope with the air blow condition corresponding to the installation position of the device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing port is formed while being inclined obliquely outwardly from an upstream side to a downstream side of air flow.
Therefore, the air blown outwardly of the periphery from the air blowing fan is smoothly blown from the air blowing port with a smaller ventilation resistance, efficiently forming a vortex air flow.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing port is formed in a vertical direction from an upstream side to a downstream side of air flow.
Therefore, the air blown outwardly of the periphery from the air blowing fan is surely blown downward from the air blowing port toward the floor surface located below in the vertical direction without causing adhesion in the horizontal direction, by which the vortex air flow is efficiently created by the first and second vortex flow creating stators.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air blow condition of the air blowing port is set so that a ratio between a circumferential velocity component and a vertical velocity component becomes 0.25 to 1.
As described above, if the air blow condition at the air blowing port is set so that the ratio between the circumferential velocity component and the vertical velocity component becomes 0.25 to 1, then the leak rate of the air in the specified air intake region leaking to the outside is reduced to improve the ventilation efficiency.
The present invention also provides an air intake and blowing device wherein an air intake port and an air blowing port substantially enclosing the air intake port are opened on a casing, and wherein a tornado flow directed toward the air intake port is generated inside a vortex flow by blowing air sucked through the air intake port from the air blowing port as the vortex flow, and wherein the air blowing port is provided with an air flow adhesion preventing member for preventing the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port from adhering to a casing surface.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air flow blown from the air blowing port is prevented from adhering to the surface of the casing by the air flow adhesion preventing operation of the air flow adhesion preventing member, and a vortex flow is stably formed by the air flow. In accordance with this, the internal tornado flow is stably formed to secure high air intake and blowing performance by the strong sucking force of the tornado flow.
In this case, by virtue of the existence of the air flow adhesion preventing member, the vortex flow is stably formed by the air flow blown from the air blowing port even when the surface of a ceiling or the like that may cause the occurrence of the Coanda effect in the vicinity of the air blowing port exists. Accordingly, there is almost no restriction on the installation position of the air intake and blowing device, and the versatility of the air intake and blowing device is improved by that much.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air flow adhesion preventing member is comprised of an annular body that extends from an outer peripheral edge of the air blowing port to an extension of the outer peripheral edge substantially along the air blow direction of the air blowing port throughout an entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge in a state in which the annular body is protruded from the casing surface.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air flow blown from the air blowing port is blown substantially along the extension in the air blow direction of the air blowing port by the air flow guiding operation of the annular body. Even if the surface of the ceiling or the like that may cause the occurrence of the Coanda effect exists in the vicinity of the air blowing port, then the adhesion of the blowing air toward the surface is immediately prevented, by which the vortex flow is stably created by the air flow. As a result, the aforementioned effect can be reliably obtained by the simple inexpensive construction of the provision of the annular body.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air flow adhesion preventing member is comprised of an annular body protruded from an outer peripheral edge of the air blowing port into an air blowing passage of the air blowing port throughout an entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the corner portion is formed between the annular body and the outer peripheral side edge of the air blowing port, and a swirl flow is formed by the air that flows through the blowing air flow passage toward the air blowing port in this corner portion and stays there. Therefore, by virtue of a synergistic effect produced by the radially inwardly deflecting operation exerted on the air flow blown through the blowing air flow passage from the air blowing port by the swirl flow generated in the blowing air flow passage and the operation of strengthening the directivity in the air blow direction by an increase in flow rate as a consequence of contraction operation due to a reduction in the air flow passage area of the air flow passage ascribed to the generation of the swirl flow, the adhesion of air to the plane in the vicinity of the air blowing port is immediately prevented, and this stably forms the vortex flow, stably generate the tornado flow and ensure high air intake and blowing performance by the sucking force of the tornado flow.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air flow adhesion preventing member is comprised of an outer annular body protruded from an outer peripheral edge of the air blowing port into an air blowing passage of the air blowing port throughout an entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge and an inner annular body protruded from an inner peripheral edge of the air blowing port into the air blowing passage throughout an entire circumference of the inner peripheral edge.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air flow blown through the blowing air flow passage from the air blowing port has its flow rate increased by the contraction operation due to the reduction in the blowing air flow passage area of the air blowing passage ascribed to the provision of the outer annular body and the inner annular body, and the directivity in the air blow direction is further strengthened. As a result, the adhesion of the blowing air to the plane in the vicinity of the air blowing port is immediately restricted to more stably create the vortex flow, by which the tornado flow is stably formed, ensuring high air intake and blowing performance by the sucking force of the tornado flow.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air heat exchanger or an air purifying element or both the air heat exchanger and the air purifying element are arranged in an air passage that extends from the air intake port to the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, a high-performance air conditioner can be provided by the addition of the air temperature adjusting function in the case of the device provided with the air heat exchanger. In the device provided with the air purifying element, a high-performance deodorizing device can be provided in the case where the air purifying element is, for example, an deodorizing element, and a high-performance dust removing device can be provided in the case where the air purifying element is a dust removing element. In the device provided with both the air heat exchanger and the air purifying element, a high-performance air conditioner provided with a deodorizing function or a high-performance air conditioner provided with a dust removing function can be provided.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air intake port and the air blowing port are connected to an air discharge means and an air supply means, respectively.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air supplied from the air supply means is blown as a vortex flow from the air blowing port, and according to the creation of this vortex flow, the air in the internal region of the vortex flow is sucked in as a tornado flow into the air intake port and discharged to the outside by the air supply means, by which the ventilation operation of the aforementioned region is effectively performed.
In this case, the air intake port and the air blowing port are connected to the air discharge means and the air supply means, respectively. Therefore, for example, by constructing one air intake and blowing unit of the air intake port and the air blowing port, arranging a plurality of air intake and blowing units and connecting the air intake ports and the air blowing ports of the plurality of air intake and blowing units to a single air discharge means and a single air supply means, respectively, a ventilation system capable of concurrently performing the ventilating operation of a plurality of regions can be obtained.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air supply means is an air conditioning mechanism for supplying temperature controlled air.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, by constructing the air supply means of an air conditioner mechanism for supplying temperature controlled air, an air conditioner system provided with a ventilating function can be obtained.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a total heat exchange mechanism for performing heat exchange between exhaust air discharged by the air discharge means and supply air supplied by the air supply means is interposed between the air discharge means and the air supply means.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, a ventilation system having a satisfactory thermal efficiency can be obtained.
The present invention further provides an air intake and blowing device wherein an air intake port and an air blowing port substantially enclosing the air intake port are provided to form a tornado flow directed toward the air intake port inside an vortex flow by blowing air sucked through the air intake port from the air blowing port as the vortex flow, and wherein a wall member that forms a specified corner portion between the wall member and an air blowing side surface of a panel member is provided with the air blowing port in a position outwardly separated by a specified distance from the air blowing port in terms of a plan view.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, a swirl flow is generated in the corner portion located outside apart from the air blowing port when air is blown from the air blowing port obliquely downward as a vortex flow, and the vortex flow is guided by the swirl flow to reach the lower end of the wall member and thereafter blown into a free space.
As a result, the vortex flow is blown from the air blowing port and thereafter prevented from flowing along the panel member, by which the vortex flow is blown into the free space with its blow velocity almost maintained without velocity reduction ascribed to the formation of a velocity boundary layer between the air flow and the panel member. Then, by the air blowing into the free space, the vortex flow is gradually attenuated in velocity to gradually convert the dynamic pressure thereof into a static pressure, as a consequence of which a high static pressure region is generated in the vicinity of the air blowing port so as to surround a negative pressure region that is the region where the tornado flow is generated. By the formation of the high static pressure region in the vicinity of the air blowing port, the tornado flow in the internal negative pressure region is suppressed by the high static pressure. By the stable formation of the tornado flow in the negative pressure region and the reflection of the sucking force of this tornado flow on the air intake operation, the air intake and blowing device produces high air intake and blowing performance.
Furthermore, this stable tornado flow is achieved by the provision of the wall member outside the air blowing port. This wall member has the function of preventing the influence from the outer space portion from being exerted on the internal vortex flow, and therefore, the performance of the air intake and blowing device is satisfactorily maintained regardless of the installation position of the device. Furthermore, the improvement in performance of the air intake and blowing device is achieved by the very simple construction in which the wall member is arranged, and this allows the maintaining of the performance and cost reduction to be compatible.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wall member is comprised of a protruding body that is protruded ahead in the air blow direction from the air blowing side surface of the panel member and extended so as to enclose the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the cost reduction of the device is further promoted with the very simple construction in which the protruding body is provided.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wall member is formed integrally with the panel member provided with the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the aforementioned effect can be obtained while preventing the increase in number of components.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wall member is comprised of a room interior wall that is arranged so as to be extended in a direction approximately perpendicular to a surface of the panel member in a state in which the wall surface encloses the panel member provided with the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the cost reduction can be achieved by the reduction in number of components by virtue of the needlessness of the special member as the wall member, and high performance can be effected regardless of the installation position of the device by using the air intake and blowing device having the conventional structure provided with no wall member as it is.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a guide member extended in a direction of extension of an outer peripheral wall of the air blowing port is provided throughout the entire region of the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port is prevented from adhering to the air blowing side surface of the panel member by being guided by the guide member, reliably preventing the formation of the velocity boundary layer ascribed to the adhesion to the air blowing side surface. Therefore, the formation of the high static pressure region in the vicinity of the air blowing port is further ensured.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air heat exchanger is arranged inside an air passage that extends from the air intake port to the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air conditioning function is added to allow the increase in number of functions, and it can be accordingly expected to improve the versatility and commercial value of the air intake and blowing device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air purifying element is arranged inside an air passage that extends from the air intake port to the air blowing port.
Therefore, according to this air intake and blowing device, the air purifying function is added to allow the increase in number of functions, and it can be accordingly expected to improve the versatility and commercial value of the air intake and blowing device.
The present invention provides an air intake and blowing device comprising: a panel having an air intake port and an air blowing port that substantially encloses the air intake port; a main casing which internally has an air passage that extends from the air intake port and an air passage that extends to the air blowing port and to which the panel is attached; and a vortex flow creating member for creating a vortex air flow from the air blowing port.
According to this air intake and blowing device, air below the air intake port arranged in an upper portion of the room is interrupted by the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port and rises up in the form of a tornado flow to be sucked into the air intake port. The air sucked into the air intake port is the tornado flow, and therefore, the tornado flow is efficiently sucked in even if the air to be sucked is separated apart from the air intake port.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air intake port is provided with an exhaust air passage that communicates with the air intake port via the air passage.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the air sucked into the air intake port is discharged through the exhaust air passage via the air passage from the air intake port. Therefore, the contaminated air inside the room can be discharged out of the room.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing port is provided with a fresh air intake passage that communicates with the air blowing port via the air passage.
According to this air intake and blowing device, fresh air is sucked from the fresh air intake passage and blown from the air blowing port via the air passage to the air blowing port. Therefore, clean fresh air can be introduced into the room.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air flow adhesion preventing member for preventing the vortex air flow blown from the air blowing port from adhering to a surface of the panel.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the air flow adhesion preventing member prevents the vortex air flow blown from the air blowing port from adhering to the surface of the panel. Therefore, the Coanda effect does not occur in the vortex air flow blown from the air blowing port, stabilizing the vortex flow.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a wall member is provided on a surface of the panel separated apart by a specified distance from the air blowing port toward the outer periphery of the panel, forming a specified corner portion between the panel and the wall member.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the corner portion generates a swirl flow, and this swirl flow stabilizes the vortex flow blown from the air blowing port.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a fan for sucking in air from the air intake port via the air passage and blowing air to the air blowing port via the air passage is provided inside the casing.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the fan inside the casing sucks in the air located below the air intake port from the air intake port through the air passage and blows the air sucked in to the air blowing port via the air passage.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air intake and blowing device comprises an exhaust fan for blowing to the exhaust air passage the air sucked from the air intake port via the air passage.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the air inside the room can be sucked in through the air passage of the air intake port and discharged out of the room from the exhaust air passage by the exhaust fan. Therefore, the contaminated air inside the room can be discharged.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an air intake and blowing device comprises a supply air fan for blowing the fresh air sucked from the fresh air intake passage to the air blowing port via the air passage.
According to this air intake and blowing device, the supply air fan sucks in fresh air from the fresh air intake passage and blows the fresh air sucked in to the air blowing port via the air passage. Therefore, the clean air outside the room can be supplied.